Body Neutrality Influencer Sixtine Reflects on Her Rookie Year With SI Swim

The model posed for Yu Tsai in Dominica for this year’s magazine.

Sixtine was photographed by Yu Tsai in Dominica.Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

When Sixtine, a rookie in the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue, walked the Miami Swim Week catwalk with the brand last month, it was her first-ever runway show. She totally nailed both of her looks, and we were lucky enough to catch up with her at the W South Beach to chat all about her rookie year. 

“I think it’s been a combination of things, but it’s really just been all the events and how much of a family everybody is,” she states of the standout moments with SI Swimsuit thus far.

Sixtine attended the magazine’s launch in New York City and Hollywood, Fla., in May before reuniting with fellow talent in Miami in July.

“Even outside of the specific events, I still have all the girls commenting on my Instagram photos or you know, sharing my swimsuit brand [Sixtine launched a partnership with Londre Bodywear in late May],” she notes. “And it’s just all so supportive and it’s not just in person at the events, it’s very much like, I feel like I’m building lasting friendships with a lot of the girls and it’s just so fun to be a part of.”

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Sixtine, who posed for the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue in Dominica with Yu Tsai, says that one of the best parts of being a rookie is the relationships she’s formed with the fellow women along the way.

“It’s such a supportive group... one of the other things we were doing over there [referring to the poolside Jenga Q&A session], the question was like, who other than yourself would you love to see on the cover?” she shares. “And I said Mady [Dewey, a fellow 2023 rookie], and Mady said me. And we both told each other and we’re like, ‘That’s so awesome!’”

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